Dekka and Jack
by mooray
Summary: Dekka has been miserable ever since nearly died and told Brianna her secret. But then she starts meeting with Jack...
1. Chapter 1

Dekka was miserable. Really, really miserable. Of course, she was used to being unhappy. She had been unhappy ever since she nearly died from the bugs eating their way out of her.

Maybe there was something wrong with her. She wondered if, if she was a boy, Brianna would have taken her. Maybe there was something wrong with her. After all, Brianna seemed to think so. But Dekka knew that she wasn't mad. She was just madly in love.

That sounded soppy. Dekka, madly in love? Yes, madly in love. Sam had suggested it was just a crush, and that she would get over it. Maybe so. But it didn't seem like that to Dekka.

She stood, at the edge of the cliff. The wind was whipping her hair. She considered, not for the first time, jumping. Dekka sighed – and turned. She walked back down the cliff. She knew it would take a lot more than this to make her jump. At least she knew she was needed. That Sam needed her to help with all the work around the lake.

Dekka passed Edilio and his team, working hard at the fields.

'Dekka!' he called. 'What were you doing up there?' Sam gave him a meaningful glance. Sam, at least, knew what it was like to be missing someone you loved more than anyone. Dekka passed them, and continued to the town that had been made, being careful to give the boat cabin that Jack and Brianna stayed in a wide berth.

No such luck. Jack was coming out.

'Hello,' he mumbled. Since everyone now knew or had guessed Dekka's secret, it was quite awkward around them. Dekka looked at him fiercely. It was so unfair. Brianna loved THIS nerd? He was the most stupid, scrawny little boy. Why him? He didn't have anything she didn't have. Oh yes, she forgot. He was a BOY.

Suddenly an idea struck her.

'Jack!' she said breathlessly. 'We need to talk.' Jack looked scared, and held up one of the walkie talkies he had managed to rewire.

'Edilio just bleeped me; they need my help moving a tractor that's stuck.' Oh yes, she forgot, he was the world's strongest nerd.

'Can we talk later then?' Jack looked worried, but nodded.

'I'll meet you this evening? At the cliff top?' Dekka suggested. When he nodded, they both walked off. She was not at all sure he was going to be there. Oh well, she supposed that was the best she could get for now.

Her walkie talkie bleeped. It was Edilio, asking her if she would come to the construction site to help move some boulders. She left at a run.


	2. Chapter 2

Dekka wasn't really sure when didn't 'evening' was. She didn't want to miss Jack though, so by five in the evening she was pacing the cliff top. However, it wasn't until eight that Jack finally arrived.

She waited for him to climb up to the top.

'Hello?' asked Jack tentatively.

'Hi…' said Dekka.

'Um….. Why did you ask me to come here?'

'Uh…. You know how Brianna doesn't like to talk to me much anymore?'

'Yeah.'

'Do you know why?'

'I….I think so,' Jack said slowly. He looked terrified of what she was going to say next.

'Look, I'm not going to kill you, OK? Anyway, if I did, you could probably squish me to a pulp anyway,' Dekka said exasperatedly.

'Did you want me to do anything then?' Jack said a bit more confidently.

'Yeah.' There was an awkward pause. 'I want you to tell me why Brianna doesn't like me.'

Another awkward pause.

'I thought you knew why?' Jack said.

'Yeah but…. I mean, EXACTLY why. What could I do?'

'You mean you want me to help you get off with MY girlfriend?' Jack said incredulously. Dekka thought a while.

'More or less, yeah,' she admitted.

'Well, I don't think she's going to go out with you,' Jack muttered. 'Sorry,' he hastily added.

'I know! But I can't just give up! What if she broke up with you? You wouldn't just say, Ok then, goodbye, would you? You wouldn't just leave her to go her separate way?'

'I guess not….'

'You have to help me get her! It's Brianna, man!'

'What do you want me to tell you?' Jack sighed.

'Everything! Tell me everything about Brianna…. What she says about me, what she says about you, tell me everything!' Dekka said impatiently, 'Also, tell her I miss her.'

Jack looked terrified. 'Dude, she gives anyone who talks about you killer looks!' Dekka looked stricken.

'Really? She really doesn't like me?'

'Not that so much as…. It's kind of awkward. I mean, you were her best friend.' Dekka turned away, tearful.

'So what's Brianna doing these days?' she asked.

'Well, she's mainly just delivering messages. Since Taylor betrayed us, she's like the main errand taker. Also, she keeps on just running, trying to get faster. She says she wants to go at six hundred miles an hour by the end of the month….'

With light chatter they walked down the hill.

When they got to the bottom, Dekka smiled and said goodbye, before walking back to her little sailboat.

In bed, Dekka contemplated the day. She felt like quite a lot had happened. Surprisingly, it hadn't been as bad as it normally was.

She smiled. Maybe Brianna would be hers soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Dekka was woken by her head thumping on the ceiling. She'd been lifting stuff in her sleep again.

After carefully manoeuvring her bed back to the cabin floor, she made breakfast. Nutella – AGAIN. It was practically all she ever ate. There wasn't much of a food shortage, but what they did have, they had a lot of. Like Nutella.

By the time she was dressed, she was already feeling bored. Most days she did – well – nothing. Not even helping out at the construction site much anymore, since Edilio had started giving out stuff to the kids who turned up to work. Dekka had wondered many times what the point of her actually WAS. She didn't do much that nobody else could do. She didn't have anybody who would miss her. Of course, that was why she did keep on going. So, one day, Brianna would miss her.

Fat chance.

She wandered down the lake side. Oh no. Someone was coming. She hated talking to people. She got so many funny looks.

When he got closer, she could see he was Jack. She was a bit relieved (it wasn't Brianna) and a bit not (it was awkward after last night's conversation.). Too late to turn the other way, she had no choice but to talk to him.

'Hey, Dekka,' he said. He didn't appear to be awkward.

'Oh, hi Jack. Where are you going?' Dekka said. She wanted to make sure she wasn't going to have to walk with him the whole way.

'I'm going to try and rewire these on the beach!' He held up one of the Apple Macs excitedly.

'Cool. Too bad I'm going the other way….' Dekka said.

'Uh, Dekka? You were going to the beach?'

'Oh, you mean THAT beach? Yeah, I was heading in that general sort of direction….' She trailed off.

'Ok then! Come to the beach with me?' To her surprise, Dekka found herself accepting Jack's invitation. It was better than just wandering around all day….

They walked to the beach in silence. It was a bit awkward after Dekka asking Jack to try and get Dekka his girlfriend. Plus, she always had thought he was an annoying nerd.

When they got there it was empty, which was unusual as normally it was crowded on a hot day like this. Dekka wasn't sure what to do – Jack just ignored her, sat down and started clicking away like mad. Typical.

She just sat there for a couple of minutes. She hadn't brought her swimming things and she didn't want to interrupt Jack's work by talking. Mercifully, John Terrafino and his crew turned up a couple of minutes later with the littlest children.

'Hey Dekka!' John said cheerfully. He was one of the few people Dekka actually had a good relationship with.

'Hi John. Do you need any help with the kids?' Ever since Mary and Francis, the two main people who ran the nursery with John had poofed, he was struggling to find enough volunteers.

'That'd be great Dekka! Will you help me watch them please? They can't swim, so we have to be really careful….' John looked relieved at another person to help.

Dekka had a good time playing with the children and helping them make sand castles. It was only when the battery ran out on Jack's computer that he started being sociable.

'Shall I walk up and get some lunch?' offered Jack.

'Thanks. I was going to share with John, but if you're bringing some…. Oh, and would you bring a swimming costume please?' Dekka replied.

'I thought he was never going to say anything!' John laughed once Jack was gone.

'I know! But after all, he IS a nerd, what can we expect?' Dekka said teasingly.

Soon Jack was back with some lunch. It was nice, eating lunch with her friends like a normal person. Dekka was glad that Jack had finally forced her to stop being such a loner. If she hadn't come to the beach, she would have just spent all day mooning on her own.

One of the toddlers ran up to them. 'Please come in the water, we can't go in unless an adult is with us!' Dekka looked round. John and Jack were both still eating.

'I'll go,' she said. Soon she was splashing about with the little kids, making tidal waves with her power.

Then John said they were going to go home. Jack looked at the sky. It was getting dark.

'We'd better go too, Dekka,' he said. Dekka climbed out of the water and back into her clothes, and then walked back with Jack, making small conversation.

It wasn't until she was in bed that Dekka realised what was different about today. Up until now, she hadn't thought about Brianna once.

It was a good feeling. She still loved Brianna, but for the first time in months she hadn't been obsessing over her all day.

Dekka sighed, turned over, and fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Dekka sighed. It was the morning after her day out at the beach.

Typically, she'd woken up in a foul mood. Dekka couldn't believe she had wasted a whole day at the beach messing around. Talking to the dweeby nerd Computer Jack. Dekka had enough to do which did not include doing 'nothing'.

She should have been working. Or talking to Brianna. Or more likely trying to persuade Brianna to talk to her. Dekka sighed again. It seemed like she never did anything fun.

After breakfasting, Dekka stepped out of her cabin only to find Jack standing outside.

'Hi, Dekka,' he said. Oh holy crap. Why did HE have to be here?

'Hi Jack, bye Jack,' said Dekka, breezing past.

'Do you want to come with me to the fields?' Jack asked enthusiastically. God, that guy was so retarded! Couldn't he take a hint?

'No Jack. Today, I am going to do something WORTHWHILE.'

'Oh yeah? Like what?' Jack said. 'What do you count as worthwhile?'

'I don't know, doing work for Sam, or talking to Brianna or something…'

'Brilliant!' Jack beamed. 'I can tick all of those boxes!'

'Yeah, cool. May I ask how, or is that too much to ask?' Dekka said cynically.

'Well, I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna be doing work for Sam, and I'm gonna be talking to Brianna….' Dekka's head whipped around.

'Brianna will be there?'

'Yeah, Brianna's great at helping out like that.' Dekka groaned. She could see clearly the pride in Jack's face as he talked about Brianna.

'Ok, I'll come,' Dekka gave in, 'As long as it's not some kind of 'Brianna and Jack lovey dovey show'.'

'Er, yeah, no. Brianna's not like that.'

Dekka gave in and walked up to the fields with Jack in pleasant conversation.

Every time Dekka went to the fields, she was struck by how efficient Sam and Edilio's system was. It was cool to see all of the children working hard but happily to provide the whole town with food and shelter.

Sam jogged up to them.

'Hey Dekka, Jack,' he said. 'What do you two want to do today?'

'Wherever you lot need a strong guy,' Jack laughed.

'Ok, what about the apple orchards?'

'You mean you can't even pick apples now?' Jack looked unimpressed.

'Well, you could lift the little kids to reach the apples we can't reach,' Sam explained.

'Ok. Count me in!' Jack said.

'How about you, Dekka? Where do you want to work?' Sam asked.

'She can come to the orchards with me,' Jack offered. Dekka and Jack walked away.

'Brianna always works in the orchards,' Jack said as soon as they were out of earshot.

They were soon hard at work, Jack picking up the littler kids to grab the highest apples and Dekka catching them. It was fun (ish) work and soon there were many baskets of apples beside them.

'Edilio!' Jack yelled. 'Can we have a runner?'

'What's a runner?' asked Dekka. She normally worked on the construction site, so didn't know much about how the orchards worked.

'Oh, you see all these baskets of apples? Well, they've got to go back to the vans. So a runner is someone who carries them back and forth. I do that sometimes with the heavier stuff.'

'Well, the baskets are all full. What shall I do?' Jack grinned.

'This is the wonderful time when we've filled all the baskets and the runner hasn't arrived yet. Also known as lunch break!' All the kids working in their section cheered and scampered down the trees.

Soon the field was full of children sitting on the grass, laughing and playing, all eating apples.

'Aren't we meant to hand in the apples?' Dekka asked dubiously.

'Well, yeah, but one of the privileges of working in the food sector is you get to take a cut. And it's actually efficient - because it saves the time it would take to go home. Come on, stop worrying and take an apple!' Jack wheedled.

Dekka grabbed an apple and sat down on the soft grass. Jack was already munching his. It struck Dekka that when Jack wasn't fiddling with technology, he was actually an OK guy. Maybe they could be friends.

'Why did you come to Sam?' Dekka asked. She had realised that she knew the gossip about Jack, but not much other than that.

'You mean, why did I leave Caine? Go to the 'goodies' as people call them?'

'Yeah.'

'It's not the nice, heroic story everyone thinks it is,' Jack said grimly.

'Come on! You can't tell me that and then not tell me the rest!' Dekka whined.

'Ok then… You know Diana Ladris?'

'Caine's pregnant girlfriend? Yeah.'

'Well, I used to have a massive crush on her.'

'Wait – before you met Brianna?'

'I guess. I'd heard of Brianna, but we didn't know each other. She was just a random girl in another year,' Jack admitted sheepishly. Dekka was not impressed. She'd loved Brianna ever since she had met her.

'So, I had a crush on Diana,' Jack continued, 'because she was, well, the prettiest girl in the school. And then, once the FAYZ came, she found out that I had powers which I hadn't told Caine about. So she blackmailed me into finding Sam and telling him about the poof, so…' Jack noticed that Dekka wasn't watching him anymore. She was staring at a couple of metres away, where Edilio stood with another girl.

'Jack,' Edilio said, 'Your runner is here. Back to work now, OK?' But the girl at his side didn't say anything. She just stared at where Jack and Dekka sat.

Jack looked up, and found himself staring into the eyes of Brianna.


	5. Chapter 5

'What the hell?' Brianna said.

'What's wrong?' asked Jack. Dekka sighed. He really was no good at understanding people.

'I turn up for duty and find you two having a quiet romantic chat!' Brianna spat out the words.

'No, Brianna, it's not like that!' Jack finally understood.

'It's exactly like that!'

Dekka looked sadly at Brianna. Their first meeting since Dekka confessed her love for Brianna. It wasn't going well.

'You know why it's not like that, Brianna,' Dekka said quietly. Brianna had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

'What? Just because you like me doesn't mean you can't like him too? Or maybe it was a trick to get Jack!' By now, all of the children were listening spellbound.

'Don't be like that!' Jack was annoyed too. 'I'm not even allowed to talk to someone now am I?' Brianna slapped him as quickly as she did everything.

'Brianna,' Dekka pleaded, 'I'm your best friend. I would never try and take away your boyfriend.'

'You WERE my best friend. Now you've ruined everything!' Brianna looked near tears, but her words hurt Dekka more than any slap.

'Just stay away from me. Please.' Brianna was begging Dekka now.

'We were friends,' Dekka whispered. Brianna looked slightly ashamed of herself.

'I know we were. OK? I care too. But… it's just too weird being with you.' As Dekka opened her mouth to answer, Brianna interrupted. 'I'm sorry Dekka. Really I am. But Jack is my boyfriend. He's not your boyfriend, and I'm not your girlfriend.'

'She's not my girlfriend!' Jack managed to cut in. 'We're just friends, and hardly even that!' Dekka couldn't gather the willpower to reply.

Sam had come across by now. He had always been good to Dekka, considering she was going through more or less the same thing with Brianna as he was going through with Astrid.

'Listen, you three, don't argue while you're meant to be working. Either get to work, or get out,' said Sam in his firm, don't-mess-with-me- voice.

'Jack, come with me please,' Brianna said. Jack looked uncertainly at her and then behind him to where Dekka stood with Sam and Edilio.

'Please?' Brianna really did look miserable, so Jack took her hand and they walked off together. When they were gone, Sam walked over to Dekka and took her hand. Dekka didn't move; she was still in the same position staring after them.

'Dekka?' Sam asked gently. She still didn't respond. 'Dekka, I think you should go home now.' Sam sighed and turned to Edilio.

'I'll take Dekka home, Edilio. Cover for me, yeah?' Sam looked at the rest of the kids. 'Back to work now, everyone!' he yelled.

He walked Dekka home, though her movements were robotic and she wasn't responding to Sam, she still walked with him. When they go to her cabin, they stopped.

'Come on, Dekka.' It wasn't until they were inside and Dekka was sitting on her bed holding a drink made of Nutella and milk (which vaguely resembled hot chocolate) that she said anything.

'She hates me, Sam,' Dekka said with tears glistening in her eyes. 'She told me to leave her alone. She said I ruined everything. Sam, she hates me.'

Sam didn't have the power to comfort her, he knew only Brianna could do that. Despite that he pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair.

'I'm sorry Dekka,' he said. He could only imagine how miserable she must be. The thought that Astrid not only left him but hated him left a shot of pain in his body.

At nightfall, Sam left Dekka tucked up in bed. She was still tearful, but wasn't saying much. He felt bad about leaving her, but knew he couldn't stay with her forever.

Dekka was lying alone. She wanted to see the stars, but just didn't have the willpower to stand up. Dekka was broken. She longed for someone to comfort her. She wanted someone to tell her she was wanted. All her life she had been shunned. First by her parents, then by the children at Coates, and now by Brianna. She wondered what was wrong with her that nobody loved, or even liked, her much. She just wanted love. Thoughts were clouding her head and making Dekka feel almost suicidal. She just lay on the little couch. Feeling sick. Heart sick.

It wasn't until past midnight that she fell asleep, with night creeping over her at last. She fell asleep with tears scarring her vision.


	6. Chapter 6

Dekka woke up. The crushing misery struck her before she could remember what had caused it.

Oh yes. Brianna and Jack had abandoned her. Wait. Why did she care that Jack had abandoned her? He wasn't even her friend. Well, maybe he was. A bit.

Dekka was so tired. She was tired of everything. She just wanted to end it. But she didn't even have the effort to climb out of bed and go to the cliff top.

There was a knocking at the door. She didn't bother answering it. Diana entered anyway.

'Hey, loser,' Diana said in her sarcastic way. Dekka wouldn't have replied if it had been Sam or someone like that, but Diana? What was she doing here?

'What?' Dekka slurred.

'Sam says he'll give me three pots of Nutella if I come here to check on you today. Yeah, I know, I don't like it either, there are a hundred things I'd rather be doing, but I keep my deals….' Dekka wasn't pleased. She couldn't be bothered to talk to anyone.

'Why you?' Dekka asked. 'Why not, like, Sam or somebody?' Diana smiled.

'Well, I guess Sam has better things to do than look after this sick kid. He is the head of the town you know…'

'Whatever. You've checked on me. Mission complete. Can you go now please?'

Diana grimaced. 'Er, yeah, when I said checking on you, I meant looking after you all day.'

'What? Just go. I don't need or want you.'

'Tough. Now get up, you lazy thing. I don't have all day you know!'

Dekka sighed and stood up. After all, it wasn't as if she had much planned for today. And she could do with a little company. Preferably not from a sadistic dragon, but all the same….

It wasn't an easy morning. What with Diana's cruel comments, and Dekka's heartsickness, there was enough bad feeling in the air for several arguments before they'd even left the boat.

As Diana stepped off the ramp, Dekka was starting to feel dubious.

'Where are we going?' Dekka sure as hell wasn't following Diana until she knew what was going on.

'We're going to the forest. There used to be a picnic place and swimming pool there. Now, either you climb off that boat or I quit looking after you!'

'Fine, quit then,' Dekka grumbled, but she still left the boat and followed Diana.

There was literally no conversation until they were at the pool. Both of them were not talkative types, and neither of them liked each other. It looked like it was going to be a long day.

'So,' said Diana, 'Why are you sick? Why have I got to look after you?' Dekka didn't reply. She went with Diana because Sam wanted her to, but there was no way she was going to become best buddies.

'You don't look sick,' Diana persisted. 'Oh, wait! Let me guess!'

'Ok,' Dekka sighed. 'You have three guesses.'

'Like Rumpelstiltskin,' Diana said cynically. 'Guess number one – Sam rejected you and that's why he got me to look after you. Guilt tripping, you know.' Dekka shook her head. It was hard to believe that Diana didn't know all the gossip about her, but after all, Diana had spent the last couple of months on the island, and now she was pregnant so she didn't go out much.

'Okay, guess number two. You've got a desperate crush on Caine, and you want to get advice from me on how to make him love you.' At Dekka's raised eyebrows, Diana defended herself.

'It could happen, you know! Lots of people do fancy Caine!' They both fell about laughing.

'You still have one guess left,' Dekka reminded her.

'Ok… Computer Jack fancies you, and you rejected him (like me), and that's why he's standing behind you looking like he just got hit by a bulldozer.' Dekka spun around to find Jack looking at the two girls with a look of shock and pain on his face. Dekka jumped up.

'What's wrong, Jack?' she asked fearfully.

'She….she….Brianna…'

'Oh my God! Is she OK? Is Brianna OK? What happened?'

'Brianna's fine. A little upset. She's fine, don't worry, Dekka.' At this, realization passed over Diana's face as she understood why Dekka was upset.

'I don't understand,' Dekka said, 'why are you so upset then Jack? Are YOU alright?' Jack appeared to be holding in tears.

'She dumped me;' he said flatly, 'Brianna's gone and dumped me.' For a moment, his words made no sense. Then Dekka felt her own pain multiplied ten, twenty, a hundred times over. To have been rejected by Brianna was painful, but to have been left…. Her arms involuntary went around Jack. He finally started crying at her concern.

Moments passed with Jack crying onto Dekka's shoulder and Diana standing helpless. Eventually Jack straightened up and wiped his eyes.

'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I shouldn't have cried like that.'

'Don't be,' said Dekka. 'God knows I cried last night.' Jack kept a hold on her hand.

'Yeah, we all know you guys are a bunch of cry babies, but can we move on please?' interrupted Diana.

'Where are we going?' asked Jack.

'Well, it looks like it's going to rain soon. I don't know about you lot, but I sure don't want to be standing here in the next storm,' Diana said. (There had been consistent raining since Little Pete's first outburst last month).

The trio walked in silence until they reached the bend where Diana would normally turn off. Diana hesitated.

'You can go, Diana,' said Dekka, 'don't worry, I'll tell Sam you looked after me well. Jack's here. I'll be fine.' Diana's wish to be dry when the rain came overpowered her wish to fulfil her deal, and she left Dekka and Jack standing together.

'Where are you going to stay tonight Jack?' asked Dekka. She had a lot of questions, but she could tell that Jack was still in shock, and so she put them on hold until he had calmed down a bit.

'I don't know. I always lived with Brianna, but now…'

'It's not fair!' said Dekka angrily. 'It was allocated as a shared cabin. Brianna has no right to shove you out!'

'She hasn't shoved me out. It's just, well…. I'll be fine. I can sleep on the beach, it's nice there.'

'Yeah, right. Can't you tell a storm is coming?' Dekka said impatiently. She gave in to the inevitable. 'Fine, you can stay with me for tonight. I've got room for you I guess. Come on, this way…'


End file.
